Now and Then (1995) New Line/Comedy-Drama RT: 100 minutes Rated PG-13 (language, adolescent sexual conversation, anatomical references, mature themes) Director: Leslie Linka Glatter Screenplay: I. Marlene King Music: Cliff Edelman Cinematography: Ueli Steiger Release date: October 20, 1995 (US) Cast: Christina Ricci, Thora Birch, Gaby Hoffman, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Rosie O’Donnell, Melanie Griffith, Demi Moore, Rita Wilson, Lolita Davidovich, Janeane Garofalo, Hank Azaria, Bonnie Hunt, Cloris Leachman, Devon Sawa, Rumer Willis, Walter Sparrow, Brendan Fraser. Box Office: $37.5M (US)
Rating: ***
Now and Then is the female version of Stand by Me right down to the quest involving a deceased preteen. I didn’t realize until after I rewatched this pleasant comedy/drama that one of the young actresses from the 70s flashback scenes is no longer with us.
For years, I often wondered what became of Ashleigh Aston Moore, the teen who plays the younger version of Rita Wilson’s character. The only other things I recall seeing her in are the 1995 family adventure Gold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain (co-starring Ricci) and an episode of Touched by an Angel (co-starring Birch). It turns out she quit acting in ’97 and returned home to British Columbia where she died of a reported heroin overdose in ’07 at age 26. Such a shame, she was a talented kid.
Now and Then centers on four childhood friends recalling their days as preteens in the summer of 1970. It’s a coming-of-age story as that particular summer marked a turning point in their lives. They learned a few valuable life lessons that got them started on the path to adulthood. In other words, it’s not unlike a lot of other movies dealing with the same subject. It’s a fairly clichéd affair right down to the vintage bubble gum rock soundtrack featuring tunes by The Monkees (“Daydream Believer”), The Jackson 5 (“I Want You Back”) and The Archies (“Sugar, Sugar”). What makes Now and Then work are great performances by four appealing young actresses. Thankfully, the movie’s focus is on the past rather than the present with the four adult women reuniting in their hometown.
As adults, the four friends have gone their separate ways in life, but have never forgotten about the childhood pact they made to always be there for one another. That’s what brings sci-fi author/narrator Sam (Moore, Ghost) and actress Teeny (Griffith, Working Girl) back to Shelby, Indiana. Chrissy (Wilson, Mixed Nuts) is about to give birth to her first child and really wants her old friends by her side. The fourth friend, Roberta (O’Donnell, A League of Their Own), just happens to be her obstetrician.
The scene shifts back to summer ’70 where the girls are trying to raise the money to buy a tree house. The girls have been a tight-knit group for many years. Roberta (Ricci, Casper) is a tomboy whose mother died in a car accident when she was four. The only girl in a house full of boys, she tapes her breasts down every morning. Teeny (Birch, American Beauty) is quite the opposite, she wants bigger breasts. Her rich country club parents are rarely around, leaving her plenty of time to play dress-up. Of all the girls, she has the most interest in boys. Sam (Hoffman, Sleepless in Seattle) is the weird one of the group. She believes in the paranormal and holds séances at the local cemetery. Her life is shaken by the sudden news that her parents are getting a divorce. She decides not to tell the others about this. Chubby Chrissy (the late Moore) is the most naïve and most responsible of the girls, but that’s to be expected from a kid with an overprotective, fastidious mother (Hunt, Beethoven). Besides the tree house, the girls’ other goal for the summer is to find out how a local boy known as “Dear Johnny” died many years before. They believe they resurrected his spirit during one of their séances and that he wants them to uncover the truth about his untimely death. The girls are at constant war with the four Wormer brothers meaning they play pranks on each other. By summer’s end, a lot of things will be different for the girls, but you already knew that.
As derivative and unoriginal as it is, I like Now and Then. It makes for very agreeable entertainment. It doesn’t shed any new light on the subject of growing up, but not every youth-oriented film has to serve that function. It’s a very nostalgic movie as it captures both the feeling and essence of the early 70s and the innocence of the main characters. They’re at an age where they first realize that life extends beyond the boundaries of their small town. At one point, they encounter a hitchhiking Vietnam vet (Fraser in an uncredited cameo) who explains the reality of the war as opposed to what they see on the news every night.
It’s a summer when the girls also have to face a few personal truths, like Roberta coming to terms with her mother’s death. There’s also a nice bit about the crazy old man (Sparrow) who only comes out at night. The present day sequences that bookend the movie aren’t as interesting. We learn that Sam has commitment problems when it comes to relationships. Roberta lives “in sin” with her boyfriend. Chrissy hasn’t changed all that much; she’s still the proper lady who scolds her friends for swearing. Director Lesli Linka Glatter (who works primarily in TV) made excellent casting choices with both sets of women. The older actresses are very believable as the adult versions of the adolescent characters. Still, the present day sequences don’t work as well as the rest of the movie.
Overall, I really like Now and Then. It’s pleasant, agreeable, harmless and sweet. It’s also predictable and formulaic. That’s fine, not every movie has to be bold an innovative. This one works on its own terms. It’s the next best thing to reminiscing with your own childhood friends about that one summer when everything changed.
